National Secret
by MPHknows
Summary: Coming from a father that never believed in the family's ways, Iggy Griffiths has to deal with his choice of following his past generation's reputation of treasure hunting. With his best friend by his side, will Iggy find something better than treasure?LI
1. Prologue: Secrets Stay Secret

**National Secret**

Prologue: Secrets Stay Secret

He just got up to get a glass of water, but the door at the end of the hallway was taunting the ten year old. It seemed to be telling him to come on down to the basement, find out why his father said to not go in there.

The snores coming from the opposite end of the hallway made up his mind, forcing him to take careful steps towards the door. Once he reached it, he pulled open the door and a slipped through. The steps were old and wooden, making each one creek under his weight.

The door was open just enough to let the light from the hallway spill into the basement. He brushed some of his strawberry blond hair out of his blue eyes and continued to hop down the stairs. Once he got to the bottom, he went to the closest box and began to open it. Just as he was picking up the papers at the top, he heard his name.

"Iggy Griffiths," his grandfather spoke clearly from the middle of the stairs, "What're you doing down here?"

"Nothing, Grandpa," Iggy yelped, dropping the papers back into the box before closing the lid quickly.

A smirk passed the old mans face, "You want to know the secret?"

Iggy nodded.

The man looked around before pulling up a chair and gesturing for the boy to sit somewhere. "It was 1832, on a night much like this." The man stared out the upper window where rain was falling down the pane as he told his story. "Charles Carroll was the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was also a member of a secret society known as The Masons. And he knew he was dying.

"He woke up his stable boy in the middle of the night and ordered him to take him to the white house to see Andrew Jackson, because it was urgent that he speak to the president."

"Did he ever get to?" Iggy asked, eyes wide as he listen to the tale.

"No," His grandfather replied, turning to face his grandson. "He never got the chance. The president wasn't there that night.

"See, Charles Carroll had a secret. So, he took into his confidence the one person he could: My grandfather's grandfather, Thomas Griffiths."

"What was the secret?" Iggy asked, sitting on the edge of the box.

The old man leaned closer to his grandson, looking to the stairs before speaking again. "A treasure. A treasure beyond all imagining. A treasure that had been fought over for centuries. By tyrants, pharos, emperors, warlords, and every time it changed hands it grew larger, and larger. And then, suddenly," He snapped, "It vanished. It didn't reappear for more than a thousand years, when nights from the first crusade discovered secret volts beneath the temple of Solomon. You see, the nights that found the volts believed that the treasure was too great for any one man. Not even the king.

"They brought the treasure back to Europe and took the name 'The Nights Temple'. Over the next century, they smuggled it out of Europe, they formed a new brotherhood call The Free Masons in honor of the builders of the great temple. War followed. By the time of the American revolution the treasure had been hidden again. By then, the Masons included George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Paul Revere. They knew they had to make sure the treasure would never fall into the hands of the British. So they devised a series of clues and maps to which location.

"Over time the clues were lost or forgotten, until only one remained. And that was the secret that Charles Carroll entrusted to young Thomas Griffiths." The old man reached into a box that sat beside the chair and pulled out a small piece of paper. Written in neat calligraphy was 'The secret lies with Charlotte'.

Iggy looked up from the paper, "Who's Charlotte?"

"Oh, not even Mr. Carroll knew that. The Free Masons among our founding fathers left us clues like these," He pulled out a one dollar bill. "The unfinished pyramid, The all seeing eye, symbols of the nights temple. Guardians of the treasure. Their speaking to us through these."

Loud steps sounded coming down the stairs, Iggy's father showing himself with a scowl on his face, "You mean laughing at us. You know what that dollar represents? The entire Griffiths family fortune. Six generations of fools chasing after fools gold."

The old man stood up, "It's not about the money, Charles. It's never been about the money."

"Come on, Son," Iggy's father said, walking up the stairs, "You need to get to bed. You can tell your Grandfather goodbye in the morning before he leaves."

As soon as Iggy was sure his father was out of hearing range, he turned to his grandfather. "Grandpa, are we knights?"

The old man smiled, "You wanna be?" Iggy nodded. "Alright, kneel." Iggy did so, tucking the small piece of paper into his pocket. The old man took off his jacket and laid it across the boy's shoulders, "Iggithanial James Griffiths, you take upon yourself the duty of the Free Masons of the family Griffiths. Do you so swear?"

Iggy smiled, "I _so_ swear."


	2. Chapter One: Bad Omen

Disclaimer: I only own what is not directly from Maximum Ride or the movie that this is roughly (or not so roughly) based off of

**National Secret**

Chapter One: Bad Omen

_Fifteen Years Later_

_Iggy - Midday - North of Arctic Circle_

Everything outside of the truck was white and cold, while the inside was blasting whatever heat it could muster. My hands gripped the steering wheel as I peered through my goggles. "I was thinking about Hanson and Perry, crossing this kind of terrain with nothing more than dogsleds and on foot. Can you imagine?" I asked Sam, keeping my eyes ahead of me.

"It's extraordinary," He replied. Something started beeping in the back seat, making Sam turn slightly in his seat. "We getting closer?"

Fang sighed, "Assuming Iggy's theory's correct and my tracking models accurate, we should be getting very close." I could hear him typing away at his laptop. "Don't go by me, I broke a shoelace this morning."

Sam and I looked at each other, the same thought running through our heads. I looked at Fang in the rearview mirror. He seemed confused by my questioning glance before he sighed again and looked back at his keyboard, "It's a bad omen."

Sam chuckled before asking, mockingly, "Should we turn around and go home?"

I laughed, "Or we could pull over and just throw him out here."

I heard Fang let out a fake laugh, muttering "okay" before going back to his laptop.

"Fang," I spoke in a curious voice, "You're not missing that windowless cubicle I found you in, right?"

His laugh was real, a chuckle going along with his words, "Oh, no, definitely not."

At this time, the beeping got much quicker, meshing together until it was one smooth sound. I stopped the truck, the one following us with the rest of the crew stopping also, and began to climb out. I pulled my hood up before taking the metal detectors out of the back, handing one to Sam and taking one for myself.

Two guys of the crew walked up to me, holding their detectors with confusion. "Why are we stopping? Aren't we looking for a ship?"

"Oh, she's out there," I said, "We just got to find her."

As I worked the detector, I heard Fang and Sam behind me. "Look," Sam's accent was thick as can be, but understandable, "This is a waist of time. How could the ship wind up way out here?"

"Well," Fang began his reply, "I'm no expert, but it could be that hydrothermal properties of this region produced hurricane force ice storms that caused the ocean to freeze, then melt, then refreeze, resulting in a semisolid moving landform that would land a ship right about here."

I chuckled to myself. Fang was never one for subtle replies, sentences, or anything really. Honestly, he was very smart, but everything he knew, I already learned.

I moved the detector around, the beeping that was repeating faster and faster told me I was getting closer. Though, after this trip, I had a feeling that beeping would be permanently fried into my brain.

Just as the beeping could get no faster, I dropped the detector and pulled my ice pick out of my belt. After barely going a foot into the snow, I hit something hard. Rubbing away, I dusted away snow until, on the metal surface, I made out the word 'Charlotte'. "Hello, gorgeous," I whispered before calling the crew over.

After a long time of digging, the ship was almost completely uncovered. Sitting down on the deck, Sam, Fang, and I began to eat what little lunch we had.

"You know," I said, looking at Sam, "Two years ago, if you hadn't shown up, hadn't believed the treasure was real, I don't think I'd have ever found Charlotte."

"You would have found it, I have no doubt." Sam sighed, nudging something with his foot. "That's why I didn't think it was as crazy an investment as everyone said."

"I'm just relieved that I'm not as crazy as everyone says. Or said my dad was. Or my granddad. Or my great granddad." Sam chuckled as I stood up, "Okay! Lets go inside this beauty."

Our flashlights panned around the room, all three of us going different directions. I started walking to the right, only turning around when Fang let out a startled scream, stumbling backwards and falling onto the ground after he tripped over a box.

Laying in the hammock was a decaying body, the hair long and the teeth black. I looked back at Fang as he stood up, disbelief crossing my face and sarcasm seeping into my voice, "You handled that well." As he brushed off his jacket, I noticed something on the wall behind Sam. "The cargo hold," I said, pointing to it as I walked over to the door.

I pulled on the handle, having to tug many times before it slid open. What was in there wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Fang, being the ever so subtle one, shined his flashlight around the room, "Do you think it's in the barrels?"

I smirked, walking forward. I heard Sam break into something behind me, then taking a whiff of whatever it was, "Gunpowder."

Something crashed to the ground, Sam and I turning around to see a broken box and black powder at Fang's feet and a guilty expression on his face.

Turning back around, I continued to walk through the room until I found a skeleton with a captain's hat and its arms wrapped around something. "Why would the Captain be guarding this barrel?" I whispered. Reaching down, unwrapped the fingers from the barrel before taking the top off. After dumping some of the gunpowder out, I found something.

It was a large box wrapped in cloth. After calling the guys over, I began to undo the locks. "What is it?" Fang asked as I did so, holding his flashlight so I could see what I was doing.

As I lifted the cover, laying in the silk padding was a pipe with a very interesting end that was in the shape of a castle side. I picked it up and examined it in wonder. "Do you guys know what this is?"

Fang's eyes widened, "Is it a billion dollar pipe?"

Sam took it from my hands with a chuckle, "It's a meerschaum pipe. Wow, that's beautiful."

I took it back from him, "Look at the intricacy of the scroll work on the stem."

Fang leaned in closer, "Is a million dollar pipe?"

"No," I smiled at him, "It's a clue." I twisted the stem, hearing it pop off and Fang's whisper of 'well, don't break it', before grinning at them both. "Well, gentleman, we're one step closer to the treasure."

Confusion passed Sam's face, "I thought you said the treasure would be on the Charlotte?"

"No, the secret lies with Charlotte. I said it _could_ be here." I pulled out my pocket knife, flicking it open before setting both pieces of the pipe down and making a small cut into my thumb. Picking the stem back up, I painted my blood across the words of the scroll, Fang making a pained look as I did so.

After doing that, I rolled the scroll across my small notebook that I had with me. _The legend writ. The stain effected. The key in Silence undetected. Fifty-five in iron pen. Mr. Matlack cant offend._

I looked at Fang's raised eyebrows before smirking, "It's a riddle. I need to think." I turned and walked over to the other side of the room, beginning to pace. "What is the legend is the… the stain effects… how? The key in silence undetected… Wait, the legend, the key. There's something. A map. Maps have legends, maps have keys. It's a map, an invisible map. So, now-"

"Wait a minute," Sam interrupted. "What do you mean invisible?"

"The stain effected could refer to a die or a reagent used to bring about a certain result combined with the key in silence undetected. The implications is that the effect is to make what was undetectable, detectable. Unless the key in silence could be…"

"Prison?" Sam asked.

"Albuquerque," Fang decided to state loudly at this point. Sam and I looked at him incredulously. "See," he said, "I can do it, too. Snorkel!"

"It's where the map is," Sam continued, ignoring Fang. "Like you said, 'Fifty-five in iron pen'. Iron pen is a prison."

"Or it could be, since the primary writing medium of the time was iron gall ink, the pen is just a pen. Then why not say a pen? Why say iron pen? Wait, iron pen! The iron does not describe the ink in the pen, it describes what was penned. What was iron? It was firm, it was mineral. No, no, no. It was firm, it was adamant, it was resolved. It was resolved… Mr. Matlack cant offend. Timothy Matlack was the official scribe of the continental congress. Calligrapher, not writer. And to make sure you could not offend a map, it was put on the back of a resolution that he transcribed. A resolution that fifty-five men signed. The Declaration of Independence."

Fang laughed, "Come one, there's no invisible map on the back of The Declaration of Independence."

Sam looked at me thoughtfully, "It's clever, really. A document of that importance would insure the maps survival. And you said there were several masons that signed it, yeah?"

I nodded, "Nine, for sure."

Sam sighed, "We'll have to arrange a way to examine it."

"This is one of the most important documents in history," I said, "they're not just gonna let us waltz in there and run chemical tests on it."

Sam stood up, "Then what do you propose we do?"

"I don't know!"

"We could borrow it," a member of the crew suggested, showing himself from the doorway.

"Steal it?" I asked incredulously. "I don't think so."

"Iggy," Sam said, taking a step closer to me, "The treasure of the nights temple is the treasure of all treasures."

"Oh, I didn't know that, really?"

"Look, Iggy," his voice got softer, "I understand your bitterness, I really do. You spent your entire life searching for this treasure only to have the respected historical community treat you and your family with mockery of content. You should be able to rub this treasure in their arrogant faces, and I want you to have the chance to do that."

I sighed, "how?"

Sam smiled, "We all have our areas of expertise. You don't think mines limited to writing checks, do you? In my life, I've arranged a number of operations of questionable legality."

The crewman walked closer, "I'd take his word for it, if I was you."

"So don't worry," Sam continued, "I'll make all the arrangements."

I thought for a second before answering clearly. "No."

Sam raised his eyebrows, as if questioning if I'd truly defy him, "I really need your help here."

"Sam," My voice grew louder, "I'm not going to let you steal the Declaration of Independence."

"Okay," He sighed, "from this point on, all you're going to be in a hindrance." He nodded his head towards me and the crewman pulled out a gun, pointing it straight between my eyes.

"Hey!" Fang shouted at the same time I began to speak. "What're you going to do? You going to shoot me, Shawn?"

The crewman smirked.

"Well, you cant shoot me. There's more to the riddle. Information you don't have that I do. I'm the only one that can figure it out and you know that."

Sam turned back around from where he was leaving, "You're bluffing."

"We played poker together, Sam, you know I cant bluff."

"Tell me what I need to know, Iggy. Or we'll shoot your friend." Shawn turned to Fang, lowering his arms just a bit so that the gun was positioned between his eyes.

"Hey!" he shouted again.

"Quite, Fang!" Sam shouted back, "Your job's finished here."

I took this distraction as an opportunity to grab a small stick of dynamite that was sitting on top of a box. As I brought it up, I struck the wick against the box and watched as the flame started.

Just as the gun turned back to me, I spoke, "Look where you're standing. All that gunpowder. You shoot me, I drop this, we all go up."

"Igs," Fang warned, eyes wide.

Sam smirked, "What happens when the flare goes down?" I didn't think of that. "Tell me what I need to know, Iggy."

"You need to know," I thought quickly, coming up with something, "if Shawn can catch."

In one quick move, I tossed the stick at Shawn and began to run the other direction with Fang. The two men went running out the way we all came in while Fang and I began to look for another way out that wasn't through flames. As I jumped over a barrel, the floor gave a hollow smacking sound. "Fang, get over here!" I shouted as I got down at my knees and found the latch. Pulling it back, it revealed a trapdoor.

"What is it?" Fang shouted over the roar of the fire.

"A smugglers hole, get in!" After we both dropped in, I looked around, trying to find a shred of natural light. "Follow me!" I shouted, crawling one way.

We reached the end quickly, pulling ourselves out of the tunnel and running down the snow hill just in time to see the trucks driving away and to hear the Charlotte blow up behind us.

"There's a village about five miles east of here," I said, dusting my jacket off as Fang caught his breath. "It's popular with bush pilots."

Fang nodded, "Alright. Then what are we going to do?"

I spoke as I started to walk, "Start making our way back home."

"No," Fang muttered, pulling his hood tighter, "I meant about Sam. He's going to steal the Declaration of Independence, Igs."

I turned to look at my best friend, "We stop him."


	3. Chapter Two: That's Where We Lost Them

Disclaimer: I only own what is not directly from Maximum Ride or the movie that this is roughly (or not so roughly) based off of

**National Secret**

Chapter Two: That's Where We Lost Them

_Iggy - 12:12pm - Washington D.C._

I threw open the doors of the J. Edger Hover FBI Building before walking quickly out into the sunlight. I reached up, flicking my sunglasses down in front of my eyes.

Fang followed, hopping down the front steps as he spoke, "Is it really so hard to believe that someone's gonna try to steal the Declaration of Independence?"

I sighed, "The FBI gets ten thousand tips a week, they're not going to worry about something they're sure is safe."

Fang huffed, "Anyone that can do anything is going to think we're crazy, anyone crazy enough to believe us isn't gonna wanna help."

I stopped walking, turning to face him. "If we don't need someone crazy, just one step short of crazy, what do you get?"

He thought for a second, only a second as his eyebrow twitched, before answering, "Obsessed."

I raised an eyebrow, before turning around and continuing to walk. "Passionate."

_Iggy - 1:00pm - Washington D.C._

I sat in an office at the National Archives next to Fang, waiting for someone to come by. I looked around, noticing something on the small table that sat just opposite of Fang. I reached over, picking up the brochure that had 'National Archives Anniversary Gala' printed on the front of it.

I opened it just as the door clicked open and the secretary smiled at me, "Doctor Greyback can see you now, Mr. Brown."

"Mr. Brown?" Fang asked as we stood up and began to walk into the room.

"Yeah, apparently my name doesn't get a lot of respect in the academic community."

"Huh…" He whispered. "Being kept down by the man," Fang paused, his eyes widening slightly, "A very cute man…"

We walked into the office to see a beautiful woman maybe a year younger than Fang and I sitting at the desk. She had long dirty blond hair, nice tan smooth skin, and golden eyes. She held up a finger to us and continued to finish up with her phone call.

"Thank you," She said clearly before hanging up the phone and turning to us. "Good afternoon, gentleman."

"Hi," Fang whispered as she stood up and walked over.

"Lupo Greyback," she introduced herself.

"Paul Brown," I replied, shaking her hand.

"Nice to meet you," She said, turning to shake Fang's hand.

His eyes darted around, trying to think of a name, "Bill."

"Nice to meet you, Bill." Lupo turned back to me. "How may I help you?"

"Well," I smiled, "Your accent. Pennsylvania Dutch?"

She smiled back, "Saxon New German."

Fang's eyebrows scrunched together, "You're not American?"

"Oh, I am an American," Lupo turned and walked back to her desk as she spoke, "Just wasn't born here." As she was talking, I had walked over to a small shelf she had up. Sitting on top was a small display of buttons, which I reached out to brush my fingers against. "Please don't touch that!"

"Sorry. A neat collection. George Washington's campaign buttons. You're missing the 1789 inaugural, though. I found one once."

She nodded, "That's very fortunate for you. Now, you told my assistant that this was an urgent matter."

"Yes ma'am." I walked over, sitting down in one of the chairs in front of her desk, next to Fang. "Well, I'm going to get straight to the point. Someone's going to steal the Declaration of Independence."

She raised her eyebrows, looking at Fang who gave a short nod, "It's true."

Lupo took a deep breath, "I think I better put you gentlemen in touch with the FBI."

"We've been to the FBI," I interrupted.

"And?"

"They assured us that the Declaration can not possibly be stolen," Fang answered.

"They're right."

I looked at Fang then back to her, "My friend and I are less certain. However, if we were given the privilege of examining the document, we'd be able to tell you for certain if it were not in any danger."

Lupo sat back in her chair, "What do you think you're going to find?"

"We believe that there an," I thought for a moment, "encryption on the back."

She nodded slowly, "An encryption, like a code?"

"Yes, ma'am," I answered.

"Of what?"

"Uh…" I ran through my list of words, "An cartograph."

She smirked, "A map."

I nodded again, "Yes, ma'am."

"A map of what?"

"The location of," I cleared my throat, "of hidden items of historic and intrinsic value."

She raised her eyebrows once more, "A treasure map?"

Fang slouched forward slightly, "That's where we lost the FBI."

Lupo looked accusingly between us, "You're treasure hunters, aren't you?"

Fang turned to me, waiting to see what my reply was. I stayed calm, "More like treasure protectors."

Lupo tapped her desk, "Mr. Brown, I have personally seen the back of the Declaration of Independence and I promise you the only thing there is a notation that reads 'original Declaration of Independence'-"

"Dated fourth of July, 1776', Yes ma'am," I cut her off.

She smiled, "but no map."

Fang and I looked at each other. He lowered his head, shaking it slightly. I sighed, "It's invisible."

Fang closed his eyes, "And that's where we lost the Department of Homeland Security."

Lupo chuckled under her breath, "What led you to assume there's this invisible map?"

I sat up, "We found an engraving on the stem of a two hundred year old pipe."

Fang nodded, "Owned by free masons."

Lupo turned to me, "May I see the pipe?"

"Uh… We don't have it," Fang said, looking down at his shoes for a second.

Lupo leaned forward, all seriousness on her face, and whispered, "Did Bigfoot take it?"

I smiled, standing up, "It was nice meeting you."

"Nice to meet you, too," She muttered as I got to the doorway.

I turned back around and pointed to the display, "You know, that really is a nice collection. Must've taken you a long time to hunt down all that history."

_Iggy - 1:45pm - Washington D.C._

I walked into the document display room, Fang following me as he spoke, "If it's any consolation, you had me convinced."

I didn't look at him, "It's not."

"I was thinking, what if we go public? Splash this story all over the internet." I walked over to the Declaration case, bending over to take a good look at it as Fang continued, "It's not like we have our reputations to worry about. Although, I don't think that's exactly gonna scare Sam away."

I stared at the Declaration, "A hundred and eighty years of searching and I'm three feet away. Of all the words written here about freedom, there's a line that's at the heart of all the others. 'But when a long train of abuses and usurpations pursuing the very same object evinces the design to reduce them under absolute despotism and is their right, is their duty to throw off such government and provide new guards for their future security.' People don't talk that way anymore."

"Beautiful," Fang sighed, staring at the Declaration along side me. "I have no idea what you said."

"It means if there is something wrong," I explained, "those who have the ability to take action have the responsibility to take action."

We both continued to look as an idea donned on me.

"I'm going to steal it."

Fang chuckled for a second before stopping, seeing seriousness in my face, and looking at me, "What?"

"I'm going to steal the Declaration of Independence," With that, I turned and walked away, hearing Fang laugh before jogging to catch up to me.

Despite his laugh, worry was in his voice as he called to me, "Igs?"


	4. Chapter Three: Listen To Fang

Disclaimer: I only own what is not directly from Maximum Ride or the movie that this is roughly (or not so roughly) based off of

**National Secret**

Chapter Three: Listen To Fang

_Iggy - 2:00pm - Washington D.C._

I stood outside the Lincoln Memorial, one foot a step lower than the other while Fang sat father up a few steps. "This is huge," He said, staring off into space, "Prison huge." He looked at me, "You are going to go to prison, you know that, right?"

I nodded slightly, "Yeah, probably."

He tilted his head to the side in a slight shrug, "It'd bother most people."

"Sam's gonna try and steal it," I explained, "And if he succeeds, he'll destroy the Declaration. Fact is, the only way to protect the Declaration is to steal it. It's upside down." I sat down next to him, "I don't think there's a choice."

"Igs," he sighed just as a woman walked past him, giving a weird look at his suit and converses. "For gods sakes," He stood up and turned to me, "It's like stealing a national monument. It's like stealing him," he gestured to the Lincoln statue. "It cant be done. Not that it shouldn't be done, but it _cant_ be done."

I looked at him blankly.

He sighed, "Let me prove it to you."

_Iggy - 2:10pm - Washington D.C._

We sat in the Library of Congress, Fang standing on the other side of the desk in front of me. "Okay, Igs, pay attention," he flipped through the pages of a thick book. "I brought you to the Library of Congress. Why? Because it's the biggest library in the world. Over twenty million books, and they're all saying the same exact thing: Listen to Fang.

"What we have here, my friend," he said as he pushed his reading glasses up on his nose, "is the entire layout of the archives. Your builders blueprints, you've got construction orders, phone lines, water and sewage, it's all here.

"Now," Fang flipped through different pictures and pages in different books as he talked, "When the Declaration is on display it is surrounded by guards, and video monitors, and little families from Iowa, and little kids on their eighth grade field trip. And, beneath and inch of bulletproof glass, is an army of sensors and heat monitors that will go off if someone gets too close with a high fever.

"Now, when it's not on display, it is lowered into a four foot thick, concrete steel plated vault." I raised my eyebrows and he continued, "That happens to be equipped with a electronic combination lock and biometric access denial systems."

I leaned forward, "You know, Thomas Edison tried and fail nearly two thousand times to develop the carbonized cotton thread filament for the incandescent light bulb."

Fang leaned his head back, rolling his shoulders, "Edison."

I nodded, "And when asked about it, he said 'I didn't fail. I found out two thousand ways how not to make a light bulb, but you only need to find one way to make it work'." I showed him the page I had found a moment ago in the book I was looking through, "The preservation room." I gestured to the book, "Enjoy."

His eyebrows scrunched together, but he leaned forward anyway to read.

I rested my chin on my folded hands, "Do you know what the preservation room is for?"

Fang's eyes scanned the page as he replied, it sounding more like a question than an answer, "Delicious jams and jellies?"

"No, that's where the clean, repair, and maintain all the documents ad storage housings when they're not on display or in the vault. Now, when the case needs work, they take it out of the vault, directly across the hall, and into the preservation room. The best time for us, or Sam, to steal it would be during the Gala this weekend, when the guards are distracted by the VIPs upstairs.

"But we'll make out way to the preservation room where there's much less security."

I sat back in my chair, waiting for Fang response. "Well," He said, skimming through the page again, "If Sam, uh… preservation… Hm… the gala…," He looked up at me, "This might be possible."

I nodded, "It might."


	5. Chapter Four: Our Evil Plan

Disclaimer: I only own what is not directly from Maximum Ride or the movie that this is roughly (or not so roughly) based off of

AN: Sorry if all the POV changes are confusing

**National Secret**

Chapter Four: Our Evil Plan

_Fang - 10:00am - Washington D.C_

I rolled open the side door of my old red van, my large backpack thrown over my shoulder. I rolled the door closed before walking towards the escalators that led down into the subway system. Once I was down there, I started looking for the room.

I shut the door behind me, setting my pack on the small table and pulling out my laptop. I opened it, continuing to take out all the other electronics I'd need, and began setting everything up.

I took the metal cutter, slicing a small hole no bigger around than my fist in the wiring pole. I picked up the mini-camera wire, making sure it was on before beginning to guide it up the pole.

I reached into my pocket, taking out my glasses and sliding them onto my face before watching the screen of my laptop as I guided the wire. Eventually, I found what I was looking for, whispering to myself, "And we are in. "There you are," I said, looking at the wire plug my laptop was showing, "Hello."

I typed away on my laptop, clicking into the hallway surveillance and recording it, then doing the same with the preservation room. "That's what I want," I mumbled, setting the rest of the stuff up before closing my laptop and walking out of the room.

I ran up the escalators, pulling softly at my black long sleeve shirt that was suffocating me in this heat. Once I got to the van again, I plugged in my laptop and picked up my small headset. I angled the microphone down by my mouth until it set perfectly, then turned it on.

"Game on."

_Iggy - 10:05am - Washington D.C._

I used my mouse, dragging the small picture of myself onto the copy of the custodian ID. "I buy that," I whispered to myself, continuing to click through the other stuff on the screen.

_Fang - 12:00pm - Washington D.C._

I clicked the button on my laser, aiming it at the bottom of the thermometer. It only took a few seconds for the heat to rise drastically. "Cool."

_Iggy - 12:24pm - Washington D.C._

I stirred the mixture, setting the small stirrer down before dipping my fingers in the glass. I pressed my fingers to the table, drawing something out, then picked up my special light and shone it on the space in front of me. Sitting there was smiling face I had drawn.

I picked up the campaign button, dipping it into the mixture before setting it in the small case.

_Lupo - 2:03pm - Washington D.C._

My assistant walked in and sat a small box and envelope on my desk, smiling at me, "This just came for you."

I picked the envelope up and began opening it, "Hope it's not from Stan. 'From the woman who has everything else, thanks for listening - Paul Brown'." I opened the box, a small case for jewelry sliding out. I opened that, picking up the campaign button that was missing from my collection.

_Fang - 2:52pm - Washington D.C._

I pointed the camera at the Declaration case, turning the small laser on and making sure it hit the heat sensor.

_Lupo - 2:54pm - Washington D.C._

I walked out of the elevator, striding over to the keyboard so that I could enter my password. Once the door opened, I walked into the preservation room.

_Fang - 3:01pm - Washington D.C._

I sat in my red van, watching my laptop screen with my headset on. Just as I was bringing the next smarty up to my mouth, the people carrying the Declaration came walking through the hallway I was watching.

I looked over at the preservation room screen, smiling. "Our evil plan is working."

_Sam - 3:15pm - Washington D.C._

I stared at the map on my computer screen, thinking hard. Maybe our plan could work. The only thing we had to worry about was the guards, right?

_Fang - 6:46pm - Washington D.C._

I parked the van on the side of the street before starting to climb into the back while Iggy climbed out dressed in his janitor's uniform.

"Igs," I called before he had the chance to walk away, "Are you sure that we should-"

With that, he closed the sliding door in my face. I sighed, continuing to head towards my little electronic setup in the very back of the old van. I slipped my headset on, flipping the power switch before typing away at my laptop.

"Fang?" Iggy asked, the frequency buzzing before connecting perfectly, "Can you hear me?"

"Unfortunately, yeah," I replied. "We're all set in here."

I heard him coming up to the guard, showing his 'badge', before walking through the side entrance.

He quickly got through security, walking into the bathroom. I heard him pulling the janitor's suit off of his tux that he was wearing underneath, throwing the belt in the trashcan. Then he took a few steps and I heard him adjusting something, more than likely his bowtie.

"How do you look?" I asked, eating some of my leftover smarties.

"Not bad," came his reply as he began to walk out of the room he was in.

"Mazel tav."


	6. IMPORTANTFORCONTINUATION

Sorry guys, but this is IMPORTANT for the continuation of this fanfic. Stupid copyright has made it impossible for me to look up parts of national treasure on YouTube and I don't own the movie. I know it's a lot to ask, but if someone out there owns National Treasure 1 can go from the point we're at in the movie in this story and type out every line and action and PM it to me, that would be AWESOME!

I'm sorry, like I said, it's a lot to ask, but it's the only way I can continue this fanfic. I hope someone out there will help.

MPHknows


	7. I asked for help

Sorry, but I have way too many fanfics to try and hold up. These are ones that I either have lost interest in or just... can't right for them anymore due to other reasons I'd rather not express. They will either stay on permanent hiatus or someone will need to adopt them. I only have a few set rules and that is to keep the pairings I originally had planned and to keep at least close to whatever plot I may have had (though most of these I was kinda just rolling towards a main idea with no actual plan)

Just review and tell me which one you want (which will probably which ever one you're reading this on, but I will still provide a list below) and I will give you said info above.

Darkening Abyss (I know, sad cause I'll admit I'm pretty good a suspense. But, mentally, I just couldn't keep up with this story. I was creeping myself out and its not even haunted or murder or anything as bad as that)

Imaginary (I didn't really have a plan for this one... only pairings and a cool world)

National Secret (this goes to whoever has a copy of National Treasure. The only reason I cant continue it is because they took it off youtube)

Two I'm contemplating but am not sure about are Mixed Love Story and Who's For Whom. These were really just there to please readers and I just... I like the ideas but I'll probably not be getting to them anytime soon. I have nothing for Who's For Whom except pairings and basically the same with Mixed Love Story.

Forever (well, maybe not forever if you wont read my others I'm keeping) Your Author,

MPHknows


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